4 Dead, 1 “Very Critical”
Des Plaines police and firefighters responded about 9:00 PM Thursday February 16, 2017 to a head-on crash on Northwest Highway just east of the intersection of Northwest Highway and Mount Prospect Road, Des Plaines, IL.
Firefighter/paramedics extricated at least two people from a silver sedan that appeared to have been eastbound on Northwest Highway.
A dark colored Mercedes sedan appeared to have been westbound on Northwest Highway when it was involved in the head-on crash.
VIEWER DISCRETION: High-speed head-on crash with extrication on Northwest Highway between Mount Prospect Road and Wolf Road.
The Mercedes had a tarp placed by firefighters on the passenger side. One body was also removed from the Mercedes immediately after at three patients were removed from the silver sedan. The dark sedan was smoking and appeared it may have been on fire. A Des Plaines fire official reported both vehicles were on fire when the first firefighters arrived on the scene.
Two people were transported to Level I Trauma Center Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge in “very critical condition”, and two people were transported to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights in “very critical condition.” The driver of the Mercedes Benz was dead at the scene.
Three family members in the Chevrolet Impala were all pronounced dead after arrival — two at Level I Trauma Center Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, and one at Northwest Community Hospital. One passenger in the Mercedes was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, described in very critical condition.
VICTIMS
1 dead at scene in Mercedes Benz sedan
3 from Impala pronounced dead at hospitals
1 from Mercedes listed critical at hospital
Des Plaines police did not speak about the crash on the scene, but it appeared that investigators were marking a possible impact point about 78 yards (234 feet) east of the position where the crashed cars came to rest. Police say the westbound Mercedes Benz was traveling at an extremely high speed when it hit the eastbound Chevrolet Impala that was attempting to turn left into a parking lot. The impact area was apparently near the west driveway to the Lattof YMCA just east of the apartments on the north side of Northwest Highway, and in the westbound lanes of Northwest Highway. The crash was obviously a high-speed crash, sending both wrecked vehicles westbound about 78 yards (234 feet), where the vehicles came to rest near the other end of the apartment complex on the north side of Northwest Highway.
Debris and fragments of the vehicles were scattered on the roadway, parkway, and sidewalk in a 78-yard path from the position of impact to where the vehicles came to rest.
A Toyota Highlander was also involved in the crash, when it was hit by the Chevrolet Impala as it came to rest in the center eastbound lane.
Northwest Highway was closed in both directions between Mount Prospect Road and Wolf Road, and was expected to be closed at least until 3 AM or later.
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